Chris Lombardi puts defense and security under the spotlight, as he shares his takes on recent NATO and EU cooperation and provides insight into the company’s own long-term strategic partnerships in Europe.

Three trends are currently driving the global electricity sector: decarbonization, decentralization and differentiation. Utilities are making significant contributions to mitigate carbon emissions, while a technology revolution is …

Estonian government approved

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Estonia’s president, today (26 March) gave his approval to a new government led by Taavi Rõivas that had received the endorsement of the national parliament earlier this week.

Rõivas, a member of the liberal Reform Party, signed a coalition agreement with the centre-left Social Democratic Party on 21 March after successful coalition talks last week. The 34-year-old minister of social affairs had been invited by Ilves to form a government in the wake of the resignation of Andrus Ansip, the previous prime minister.

The coalition partners presented on Monday (24 March) their final lists of government ministers with eight out of 14 from the Reform Party and six from the Social Democrats. Of those 14, five are women, though the top posts are all held by men. Urmas Paet is to continue as minister of foreign affairs, a post he has held since 2005. Jürgen Ligi, will continue as minister of finance, a post he has held since 2009. Both are from the Reform Party, like Rõivas, who was previously the social affairs minister.

The Social Democrats, who have replaced the centre-right as junior partners in the coalition, have nominated their leader Sven Mikser as minister of defence, a position he held in a 2002-03 government led by Siim Kallas, who is now Estonia’s European commissioner. Urve Palo, who was population and ethnic affairs minister in 2007-09, is to be the minister of economic affairs and infrastructure.

The coalition has promised to raise child benefits and salaries for teachers and police, and to lower income tax, at a cost of €172 million a year. Rõivas promised that the budget would be balanced.